The purpose of the Little Engines program is to provide families access to fun, educational, and interactive family engagement activities using the reading tracking program, Beanstack.   

Families have access to digital library of eleven badges with activities on a variety of topics including learning through nature, through social emotional development, through literacy, through play, through mindfulness, through similarities and differences, through mental health, through STEM, through active learning, and through sensory learning.  Each participating family receives a bag with materials and supplies to complete each activity.  Families also track reading minutes throughout the program. 

This is currently a pilot program that started in the fall of 2021 at a local Boone preschool.  In the fall of 2022, a pilot launches at the Nevada Public Library.  Following this pilot, Little Engines will be test at four additional libraries in Iowa before launching.   A pre-survey, post-evaluation, and interviews are include and optional for participating families.  This information helps track the progress of participating families, analyze the information, and help to determine the future development of the program. 

Initial funding for Little Engines was made possible through BooSt Together for Children, Friends of Ericson Public Library, and Boone Optimist Club. 

 

Contact Zachary Stier, Ed.D, MSLIS

Children's Librarian, Project Director for Little Engines at zstier@boone.lib.ia.us for further information.